


the serpent under the flower

by vellichorvirgo



Category: A Court of Thorns and Roses Series - Sarah J. Maas
Genre: Abusive Parents, Alternate Universe, Assassination, Assassination Plot(s), F/M, Murder, Revenge
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-17
Updated: 2019-06-18
Packaged: 2020-05-13 18:07:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,208
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19256419
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vellichorvirgo/pseuds/vellichorvirgo
Summary: Ever since the Dawn Court, once the voice of reason and peace in Prythian, fell into the hands of the twisted Birchstone family, pain and suffering have run rampant among its people.Few know this better than Daphne Birchstone, niece of the High Lord of Dawn, whose family has destroyed what she loved most—and who has vowed revenge in return.An opulent ball thrown by the Birchstones for all of Prythian seems like the perfect opportunity for Daphne to put her scheme into motion, but there's just one obstacle she didn't expect...Viduus Enceladus, the newly-crowned High Lord of the Night Court.[alternate universe set in the ACOTAR world, with original characters & plot]





	1. prologue: part i

**Author's Note:**

> a bit of an explanation for this:  
> my very dear friend abby and i have created a very complex ACOTAR universe with MANY characters and plotlines we came up with ourselves. this fic is the starting point of all of it. i decided to try sharing it to see what others think of it.  
> while this fic is set in the ACOTAR universe, the characters and plot are entirely original. none of the characters or plots from the actual series will make an appearance, although there will be some similarities between this fic and the series.

_The Dawn Court._

_A land of blushing sunrises and lush countryside, where silvery ribbons of mist kissed your face, and the gentle fragrance of a thousand flowers caressed your nose. A land of innovation—of tinkering and clockwork and clever things._

_A land of peace and kindness where happiness flourished. Prythian’s voice of reason, ruled for eons by the High Rulers of House Birchstone—a family of noble, just High Fae leaders, beloved and revered by their people._

_At least, that was what they_ were, _once._

_Nobody knows exactly when or how it happened, when or how things changed._

_All that is known is at some point in time, something dark and poisonous crept into the Birchstone line._

_All that is known is that at some point in time, the healing compassion the family was so loved for began to dwindle, pushed out by a slew of more wicked traits that seemed to grow with each passing century, each new generation, each new High Ruler who ascended to the throne._

_When the brothers Caius and Midas were born, happiness and freedom in the Dawn Court were little more than façades. The people had borne the brunt of the Birchstones' increasing greed, ruthlessness and cruelty, and by the time Caius ascended as the newest High Lord, they had been suffering for centuries._

_Under_ _the rule of Caius, the most twisted and violent leader yet, there seemed to be little hope of an end to their pain._ _In the Court of light, the future seemed to hold only darkness._

_That is, until Caius and his family went a step too far. Until they crossed the wrong person—one of their own._

_It takes a monster to truly defeat a monster, after all._


	2. prologue: part ii

Daphne had started pleading even before the guards had seized her—almost from the moment the door flew open, and she startled apart from Florian to see her cousins’ cruel grins in the doorway, glinting like light off the edge of a blade.

She hadn’t stopped, either. Not while the guards dragged her and Florian out of the room; not while they marched them through hallway after endless hallway and down staircase after endless staircase; not while they passed openmouthed, fearful servants, gaping at the procession in shock.

Desperation and panic had loosened Daphne’s tongue, and the words spilled from her like water over a cliff, uncontrollable and unending.

“Please, please, we weren’t doing anything wrong, it wasn’t his fault, please don’t hurt him. Neron, Aldea, _please!_ ”

It was as if she hadn’t said anything at all. As if she were as silent as Florian, being tugged along several paces behind her. As if she were nothing but a body, an object.

Finally, Daphne fell silent as she was pulled into her uncle’s throne room and unceremoniously thrown to the ground before his feet. The floor slammed into her bare knees, and she cried out.

“What is the meaning of this?” Caius demanded.  

One of Daphne’s cousins—Aldea—chuckled darkly, sidling up beside her. “Go on, little cousin, tell Father what you’ve been up to. Or shall I?”

Silently, Daphne lifted her head and met the eyes of the High Lord. Although his expression was calm, something dangerous glinted in his face. Daphne had seen the expression dozens of times, just before he ordered a servant to be beaten, or a common criminal executed, or the possessions of a lesser faerie unable to pay the Tithe seized. But she never thought she would see it directed at her.

Unable to stomach it, Daphne’s gaze slid away from Caius, moving past the courtiers that surrounded him and his Lady before finding the faces of her father and elder sister. Midas’ face was a stormcloud of roiling fury as he looked between Daphne and Florian, evidently putting the pieces together. Beside him, Ilene appeared to have done the same; her lip curled in open disgust.

“Nothing more to say?” The jab came from Neron this time, cold and sharp. “Ashamed, perhaps. You had better tell the story for her, sister.”

“There isn’t much to say, is there?” Aldea sneered back. “Father, your whore of a niece appears to have taken a _lesser faerie_ for a lover.” She gestured distastefully at Florian, spitting the words _lesser faerie_ like they were poison burning her tongue.

More than one of the assembled courtiers gasped. The dark look in Caius’ eyes sharpened.

Fury flashed across Florian’s beautiful face—not at the insult to himself, but the one to Daphne. She sent a pleading look in his direction, silently begging him to stay quiet.

Jaw clenched, Florian obeyed with obvious reluctance.

“A little bird came to me,” Aldea continued, lazily circling the pair kneeling on the floor. “They’d heard whispers of a little plan the two of them cooked up. Something about running off together to wed and live happily ever after.”

Fresh gasps from the courtiers. Midas looked horrified. Ilene tipped her head back and laughed softly, eyes gleaming with mock-pity as they surveyed her sister.

“Daphne.” The High Lord’s cutting voice snapped her attention back to him. “Is this true?”

There was no use denying it. Daphne’s fingers trembled, even as she balled them into fists. She couldn’t hide the matching tremor in her voice. “Uncle, please—we meant no disrespect, we only—”

“Meant no disrespect?” Caius stood from his throne, so suddenly those around him started. “ _Meant no disrespect_ ? You are of my blood, _niece,_ in case you had forgotten.” He tossed a barbed look towards his brother—Daphne’s father. Midas’ thunderous expression clouded further. “The blood of this Court’s rulers. We do not consort with lesser faeries, much less _wed_ them. The fact that you even entertained such a notion tells me exactly how much respect you have.”

He flicked his gaze from Daphne to Florian, and the outrage on his face grew tenfold.

“And you, commoner. Who exactly do you think you are, to believe you deserve my niece’s hand?”

Florian’s voice was quiet, but remarkably steady. “I love her, my lord. I can offer her nothing more and nothing less than my heart.”

Daphne’s own heart swelled and cracked in the same moment.

“Oh, you _love_ her, do you?” the High Lord growled, over the sounds of his children’s cruel, mocking cackles. “Well, let’s see where that love gets you.”

He gestured to the guard nearest him. For a moment Daphne’s mind was blank, frozen, uncomprehending. Then realization kicked in like a punch to the stomach, and pure panic spiked through her blood, sending her mind into a thoughtless frenzy.

“No! No, no, no, Uncle, please, _please_ , I’ll do anything, _anything_ —”

She was screaming from the moment the guard drew his sword and strode towards Florian. Screaming as they yanked him away from her side, and her cousins pulled her back by the arms before she could try to reach him. Screaming as his eyes met hers, and he mouthed _I love you_.

Screaming as the guard drew his blade across Florian’s throat in a single quick, simple movement, and time collapsed and shattered around her.

Screaming as blood welled and spilled, ruby-bright.

Screaming as her love slumped, limp, to the ground.

In her head, Daphne never stopped screaming.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yes, this is a ripoff of lucien's backstory. i promise this plot has some originality


End file.
